A bittersweet return to the grind…

I am writing this post right now and to say I am a zombie would be putting mildly.  I AM SO TIRED RIGHT NOW…I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night because, well, it was Sunday night and I don’t usually get to bed real early because there are so many monday morning preparations(school and personal) that must be done Sunday night…So needless to say really; it was a four hour night 
However, when the students filed in this morning, it was so quiet and calm, I didn’t even have to break out classroom dojo to keep them in line…I didn’t even have the calendar math work out because the copier was all jacked up this morning (Mondays…Yeesh!)
Most of the morning went that way.  Things were calm and work ethic was good.  It was really a good day to go back to work with the exception of little to no sleep.
Now my read aloud after recess went too long and math was a rushed and writing got the back burner…typical afternoon stuff but the behavior was still in check.  So I deal better with lags in schedule when I am the cause of it and not the talkers. 

FAstfoward to this evening after supper…I am grading papers from earlier that day and some that I just put off from Spring break.  I AM SO FINISHED TAKING LATE ASSIGNMENTS…I decided that starting tonight and for the rest of my upper elemtentary career, I will not take another late assignment unless a parent notifies me.  I will give extra credit opportunities, but this turning in assignments when you feel like it is over with.  I am sick to death of grading things late or giving making kids extra copies and then grading it again.  We just had our copies numbers limited, so I am limited on the numbers of extras I can make.  I always round out my copies and there are a few extra copies, but the latest I will take it is during recess time.  After that or if I run out of extras, you can do extra credit for half a point per assignment.  I am tired of enabling children to work up to a portion of their potential and having lowered expectations.  Deadlines and due dates are for a reason.  Is this too harsh of me?  I am flexible, I will allow an assignment to be turned in a day late with a parent notification/request but that is the best I can do on that.  I want my students to be responsible…85% of my students grades come from right in the classroom and the other 15% from homework and independent projects.  So, I am posting this information on my classroom blog in just a moment and sending home a note about this tomorrow.  I know it seems like a little late in the game to get all over this, but it has just recently become a much larger problem.  I made this product to keep students accountable for what assignments they are missing as well help me spot trends in what assignments are not being turned in. 
 
Thanks for letting me sound off about this… This item is in my TPT shop and because you let me vent, I am marking it down to 50% off for the next two days!!!  Just click on the pic for a link to the product!!!!  I will GIVE IT AWAY TO FIRST FOUR FOLKS TO BRING THE FOUR FOLLOWERS i NEED TO MY TPT SHOP.  They need to leave me their follower number in comments along with the name and contact info of the person who sent them my way.  That is a grand total of eight of these…for FREE!!!
Also, don’t forget about the giveaway going on here at Shearerly Sadler 4th grade…

a Rafflecopter giveaway